Frank Collins
CEO
Barnabas Associates
21 Apr 2011

As CEO of a charity which works with about 200 people pa who are vulnerable and at risk, about half are over 50 and they have difficulties in the socioety which relies on pin numbers and plastic.

Many have had money problems and are afraid of the pressure to do away with cheques as that gives them security in that they know and have a record of what they are spending their money on.

Cheques as bills of exchange have been a key part of the society for about 200 years and work for many people to kep their finances in check. Plastic and pins are easy and too easy for some who need that control. Also it enables organisations like us to receive funds in a straightforward manner without need for expensive and infrequently used pieces of equipment.

We do use electronic banking for income and for payments as the norm and find it easy . However we are not at such a risk as the individuals that we work with. But even our own staff and volunteers express concern over the implications for them as individuals and some fear for their own financial competence.

It is a proposal which only seems to work in the banks' favour and not for the people. We are seeing the first part of this now with the introduction of charges for cheque processing by recipients and the abolition of the cheque guarantee cards which will be used by the banks to show that retailers dont accept cheques any more. This is a situation of the banks creation for their own benefit when in the past it was a normal practice. They should continue the free services which they had always provided and give additional incentives for those who use more efficient processes and not penalise people and organisations by making life more difficult for them .

Frank Collins

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